Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.
Superhumans with neural implants may belong to the realm of science fiction for now - but they might be coming soon.
Key Points:
- One of the most basic ways human beings have developed is through the simple technology of tools – things we hold in our hands. We use tools to overcome our natural weakness. A crowbar is just a bent piece of metal, but we can use it to gain leverage our bodies normally couldn’t.
- In the near future, it is possible that our tools will be placed inside our bodies. This is called bionics or cybernetics. This has long been a concept in science-fiction stories like Robocop or The Matrix.
- Bionics already exist. A prosthetic limb and a pacemaker are both bionic. But what happens when we put bionics in our brains?
- Neural autofocus is the concept of manipulating brainwaves to force certain states of consciousness. Technology could soon be used to keep people from daydreaming and to help them work productively or creatively by changing brainwave patterns and to help the brain grow (learn) more quickly.
- Should people get these implants if they don’t need them? There are a whole host of moral and ethical questions this technology will raise in the coming decades.
Quote This:
The science of today is the technology of tomorrow. -Edward Teller
See Also: Culture, Science, Technology
Talk About It
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What do you think about the prospect of getting a brain implant – presuming you didn’t need one because of an injury or mental condition? Is it scary, exciting, or a bit of both? Explain.
- What other sorts of bionic implants might people get in the future?
- What are some of the benefits of this technology for humanity?
- What are some of the dangers of this technology for humanity?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
